Princess for a Day
by poxelda
Summary: Jack helps Riley prep for a mission. A short bit of fluff, warning for sweetness.


Mac bit back another grunt of pain. Riley stepped back frustrated. Mac tried to hide the pain in his foot, but Riley didn't catch the slight hobble.

"Damnit! I'm sorry, Mac."

"No, Riley. I guess I'm not a very good teacher." Mac frowned trying to think of a way to explain how to waltz better. His feet had been taking a beating. Riley was good at a lot of things, the waltz wasn't on that list. Matty, Cage and Bozer had tried to explain the steps to her. They had overloaded her with information, or in Bozer's case had learned it only because he'd had to for his Aunt's wedding. Since Mac was expected to be her partner on the op, he thought they could work out a routine. Something was keeping Riley from learning a dance Mac saw as basic math.

"Hey, guys! You ready to go? I have a need for beer and pizza!" Jack said breezing into the physical therapy room. He paused taking in Tchaikovsky's waltz from _Sleeping Beauty,_ "What the...you gave up on Beyonce?" Riley glared at him and stormed across the room turning to pace grumbling to herself. Jack turned to Mac his face serious. Mac sighed.

"We're having trouble working out the waltz." Jack nodded and frowned at Riley thoughtfully. He turned to Mac and clapped him on the shoulder.

"It's ok, brother, I got this." Mac's eyebrows raised.

"You know the waltz?" Jack grinned.

"You remember, Jeanine?" Mac thought a long minute.

"The yoga instructor?"

"Well, she also taught dance...at night. It was relaxing after…"

"Ok! Jack, I don't need to know!" Mac said with a smile. Jack noticed Mac moving from foot to foot and smiled.

"Go ice 'em, I'll get Riley mission-ready." Mac glanced over at Riley and nodded.

"I think she'll like that." Jack grinned, pleased. He looked at Riley and sighed. He thought of the fiesty angry eight year old he'd first met. One time after he'd left Diane, run away, he corrected. He'd seen an ad for a fancy father-daughter ball. Jack had looked at the little girls dressed up in fluffy princess dresses dancing with their fathers done up with tuxes. The looks in the girls eyes gleamed with how special they felt. Jack had always regretted he'd never been able to give that to Riley.

"Hey, kiddo." Jack said gently as he approached Riley. She whirled on him her face a mask of anger and unspilt tears. She glanced around and scowled.

"Mac couldn't stand anymore bruises on his feet?" Jack sighed and stepped closer. He could feel her stiffen as he put both hands on her shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. Riley looked down biting her lip. Jack ducked until she faced him.

"I thought you didn't give up this easily?" Jack said softly. Riley looked up at him furious and shoved him away.

"I can't do it, alright! Is that what you want to hear?" Jack stepped forward and put out a hand.

"Come on, girl. Show me what you got," Riley glared at him. Jack shrugged, "Don't you want to stomp my feet?" Riley huffed and took his hand turning bending into a rigid closed position staring down at her feet. Jack smiled, "Don't look at your feet they already know what to do." Riley looked up surprised.

"What…"

"Riley, listen the secret to dancing is trust. You have to trust your partner to lead. Kick off those spears on your feet." Riley squinted and shrugged. She hadn't been able to learn any other way. She turned and kicked off her stilettos. Riley frowned not sure if she liked being so much shorter than Jack. Jack swung her arms back and forth, "Relax, girl. You trust me right?" Riley thought about how many times the older man had been there for her, saved her life.

"Of course."

"Ok, put your feet on mine." Riley laughed.

"Seriously? I'm not ten years old…" Jack shook his head.

"That's part of the problem, c'mon now." Riley huffed and awkwardly balanced her feet on the top of Jack's boots. She stared down and stiffened as he stepped back. Her eyes widened and she stiffened. She felt as if she were hanging off a cliff about to fall. Jack sighed and broke out of the formal stance. Riley clung onto him. Jack pulled her closer.

"Ok, now close your eyes."

"What?"

"Close your eyes, relax. I ain't gonna let you fall." Riley took a deep breath and closed her eyes. At first she felt like she had when she first stepped on roller blades as a kid. Jack began to hum with the music and move in the ¾ rhythm Mac had tried to explain to her. Riley sighed and instinctively pulled closer. She leaned her head against his chest and listened to the rhythm of his heart. Riley felt the same safety she had when he'd been one of the solid stones in her whirlwind life.

"That's it, kiddo." Jack murmured. Soon Riley was moving with him to the music instinctively. Jack paused and grabbed her hands pulling them into a graceful closed position. Riley smiled, keeping her eyes closed she stepped back. He kept humming and she stepped with him in perfect rhythm as graceful as two swans on a settled pond.

Riley didn't know how long they danced. She felt as if her body wasn't learning a dance, but something bigger that she'd known a long time ago. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. Jack grinned down at her his eyes damp and full of pride. Riley grinned back. The music ended. Riley didn't want to stop. They kept dancing until the CD ended. Riley stepped back laughing. She gave Jack a hug. They held it for a long minute.

"Thank you." Riley said into his chest. Jack thought his heart was going to fly around the room. He knew she meant more than this one dance.

"Anytime, kiddo." Jack turned away rubbing his eyes and cleared his throat. Riley did the same.

"You said something about pizza and beer, old man?"

"Sure, you ok?" Jack looked over at her. She wrapped her arms around his.

"Yeah, Me and Mac are going to knock their socks off." She said softly. Jack knew what she meant beneath the words. He bumped her gently with his hip.

"I never doubted it." He said not even trying to hide the pride in his voice.

"Thanks."

"Yep, think Mac can walk yet?" They looked at each other and burst out laughing.


End file.
